Desk-clamp for type-writing machines.



L. L. PRITZL.

DESK CLAMP FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

' APPLICATION rum) APB..16, 1910.

1,06%,005, Patented June 10, 1913.

mini w) 1 m E I 7; 4" i Mi I g i {6 10V 1 witne/bbw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZ L. PRITZL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y], ASSIGNOR T0 UNDEBWOOD TYPEWBITEB COMPANY, OF NEW YORK N. Y-, A ORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DESK-CLAMP FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Application filed April 18, 1910. Serial No. 555,816.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, LounNz L. Pnrrzn, a citizen of the United States, residing in city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk- Clamps for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for releasably attaching the bases of typewriting or other machines to desk tops, base boards, tables, or other supports.

()ne of the principal difficulties encountered in providing a releasable catch for this purpose, arises from the fact that suchmachines usually set upon rubber or other cushion feet which vary in height. Some machines are originally provided with much higher feet than others; and it also generally happens that the feet contract in height while in use. Moreover, the feet on one side of the machine are sometimes higher than those on the other side of the machine. The objection to releasable catches for this class of machines has, therefore, been because of the fact that while such catches are suitable for one height of rubber feet, they are not readily adapted for machines having other heights of feet. It will be understood that the machine should rest upon the rubber feet, and not upon the metallic parts of the catch or securing device, as otherwise the operation of the machine would cause undue noise.

The main object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a releasable catch which can be accommodated to any height of rubber or other feet.

A further object is to simplify and otherwise improve the locking device so as to produce, at low cost, a device of this character which shall be effective and easily applied and operated.

In the preferred form of the invention, latches are pivoted upon suitable bases or supports which are preferably made separate and fixed to the desk or to the baseboard upon which the typewriter is to rest. From the sides of the baseof the typewriter, headed catches project downwardly, said catches being intended to drop into sockets formed upon said bases. Latches catch over the heads of said catches to releasably lock the machine to its support. Each socket is sufiiciently deep to leave plenty of room for vertical play of the head, so that a nice fit will not be required, and also to accommodate the settling of the machine from time to time, due to the sinking or contraction of the rubber feet in use. The head tits loosely in the socket, and is beveled or pointed so that it may be easily located and introduced into said socket. The bevel also serves automatically to press the latch to one side, so that all the operator needs to do is to drop the machine upon the desk or support, with aid catches descending into the sockets, whereupon the latches will catch over the heads and effectually lock the machine to the support. Each head or catch is made vertically adjustable, so that it may be originally set at just the right position to correspond to the height of the rubber feet which support the machine; and for this purpose said head or catch is formed upon a threaded stem which screws up into :1 lug formed or provided upon the base of the typewriting machine. A suitable lock nut secures the catch where adjusted.

Other features and advantages will here ma ftcr appear.

In the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a plan of the frame of a typewriting ma chine (shown in section and partly broken away) with the invention applied thereto. Fig. 9. is an enlarged plan ofthe socket. Fig. 3 is a perspective view thereof. partly broken away. Fig. 4: is a crossseclional view, showing the catch locked in the socket, the frame of the machine being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a similar view show ing the catch released from the socket.

A typewri-ting machine 1. has cushion feet 2 of rubber or other material resting upon a base board, desk or other support 3. the weight of said machine being sustained by the feet.

The support 3 is provided with fixed tubular sockets 4 separated from each other, (and having ears or plates 4, secured to the desk by screws 4 into which sockets are dropped catches 5 depending from the opposite sides of the machine. Said catches fit easily in the sockets and prevent lateral shifting of the machine relative to its support, and the sockets are of sullicient depth to leave room for the vertical play of the catches to accommodate a settling of the machine.

The machine is locked to the support by latches 7 pivoted to the sockets, as at 7, and

each latch is provided with twoflat edges,

arranged at a slight angle to each other as shown in Figs. 3, t and 5. Each latch 7 may be held in normal position by a coiled compression spring 10, which may extend across the bottom portion of the socket 4, and may be seated at. one end in a depression 10 F formed-in the wall of said socket, and at the opposite end in a depression 10 formed in the latch. This spring is not only inexpensive, readily applied 21nd effective, but, it will be seen, is, by reason of its inaccessible location, well protected against accident or injury. Moreover, the head 6 of the catch fills the socket 4, and therefore covers said spring, so that it is not liable to become clogged with dirt. A stop 17 maybe formed on the latch to rest normally upon the support 3. The heads of said catches are beveled, as shown, to facilitate their introduc tion into the sockets and to engage and displace or cam aside the beveled ends 11 of the latches, as the machine is lowered onto its support. WVhen the heads have slid past the latches, the hook port-ions 9 thereof snap over the heads to lock the machine in place. The heads 6 are conveniently located at the lower ends of the catches 5, and the hooks 9 are undercut to fit into the dished upper faces 6 of the heads to enable the latches to grip the heads firmly when the machine is subjected to upward pull, so as to avoid liability of the latches being forced off from said heads.

To remove the machine from its support, the operator simply inserts his fingers between the frame and the support 3 to lift the machine, and also depresses finger-pieces 12 on the latches to rock the latter away from the catches and release the machine.

The feet 2 of the same or of different machines may vary in height, and to adapt the lock to such machines, the catches are adjustably connected to the frame of the machine. For this purpose, the catches are threaded, as at 13, to screw up into threaded apertures in the lugs 14, formed on the sides of the base of the typewriting machine.

Lock nuts 15are tightened against the frame 1 to hold the catches where adjusted. The

scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others. Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a base-board, of a type-writing machine frame, a catch extending downwardly from lugs on the sides of the base of said frame, a socket on said base-board located to receive said catch within the same and closely embracing said catch so as to determine the position of said machine frame, a latch having two flat edges arranged at an angle to each other pivotally mounted on one side of said socket ,and projecting into the interior thereof to engage said catch, ears, for securing said socket to said base-board, located solely on the opposite side of said socket from said latch, leaving said latch free to move into stopping engagement with said base-board, and a single spring located within said socket and engaging said latch to hold it in both its locked and unlocked positions with one or the other of its fiat edges in engagement with the base board.

2. The combination with a base-board, of

a type-writing machine frame, a catch extending downwardly from lugs on the sides of the base of said frame, a socket on said base-board located to receive said catch Within the same and closely embracing said catch so as to determine the position of said machine frame, a latch pivotally mounted on one side of said socket and projecting into the interior thereof to engage said catch, and ears, for securing said socket to said baseboard, located solely on the opposite side of said socket from said latch, leaving said latch free to move into stopping engagement with said base-board; said catch having a dished head, and said latch having an undercut hook to prevent accidental mutualdis engagement.

- LORENZ L. PRITZL. itnesscs K.. FRANKFORT, C. RIPLEY. 

